Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ground aeration, and, more particularly, to an improved core collector for use with a ground aerator to collect cores pulled from the ground.
Description of Related Art
Ground aeration is an important practice for maintaining the health of lawns, golf course greens and fairways, and/or athletic fields. Over time and with use, the soil tends to compact, making it difficult for the grass to grow due to lower oxygen levels and decreased water and nutrient movement in the soil. As compaction increases, less oxygen can enter the soil and less carbon dioxide can escape. The net result is gradually thinning grass until, ultimately, the soil can no longer support any grass growth.
One type of ground aeration is core aeration, where a series of small aeration cores or plugs of soil are removed from the ground, leaving a hole in the ground. The plurality of holes open passageways in the soil, allowing air, water, and nutrient movement. The cores are typically removed using a ground aerator machine. In general, the ground aerator machine removes a plurality of cylindrical plugs using a series of mechanical extractors, such as metal tines. The tines are typically mounted on a rotating arm driven by a crank shaft of a motor. Each tine digs into the ground and removes a core from below the surface of the ground. In some existing applications, the ground aerator may remove about 10-120 cores per square foot, with a typical core depth of about 1.5-5 inches. The extracted cores are typically discharged directly on the ground behind the ground aerator machine.
Ground aeration with such conventional ground aerator machines is often inefficient. Typically, the extracted cores are swept by hand and hauled away. Such sweeping and hauling is time consuming and costly. In cases where the extracted cores are collected by a machine, the core collection device typically has a box with a trap door that dumps the cores as the tines are rotated out of the ground. However, during use, the cores are dragged across the ground surface, smearing debris on the ground and the core collection device. In many cases, the debris from the extracted cores can completely or partially plug the freshly made holes. The result is unwanted leftover discharge and debris from the extracted cores dispersed onto the ground surface. Consequently, this presents a need for a prevention of the cores (and/or portions of plugs) from at least partially filling the fresh holes. What is needed is a core collector device for use with a ground aerator machine that easily collects the extracted cores and reduces the manual labor and expense associated with conventional ground aeration techniques.